Community Health Worker - The Brookdale Hospital Medical Center : Job Details

Overview:

HealthySteps, an evidence-based program of Zero to Three, helps to ensure that parents and their babies get off to a strong start in life. A Community Health Worker (CHW) will join the HealthySteps program to work with pediatric patients and their caretakers by performing patient-centered, strengths-based, community health work in collaboration with interdisciplinary teams at Brookdale Hospitals Family Care Centers at Eastern Parkway and New Lots Avenue.

CHWs are specially trained health workers who are trusted members of and have a thorough understanding of the communities they serve. The CHW participates in community outreach activities within the communities served by Brookdale Hospital, engaging patients and providing resources and assistance needed to address issues preventing them from staying healthy. The CHW motivates and supports pediatric patients and their families to achieve their family health goals by facilitating connections to primary and specialty care clinics, community and parenting services, mental health support, creating health goals, and helping them access resources to address social determinants of health.

The CHW will also oversee a grant funded Early Intervention (EI) project that aims to better facilitate connection to EI services and ensure children receive a timely developmental assessment.

This is a grant-funded position.

Referral Management:

• Facilitate and coordinate referrals to Early Intervention ensuring caregivers maintain connection to service coordinators and children ages 0-3 receive timely multi-disciplinary assessments.
• Connect families to resources that address food insecurity, housing issues, employment, childcare, transportation (for example, helping patients fill out applications or escorting them to community organizations to obtain needed services).
• Provide referrals and follow up, as appropriate, to ensure families make connections to key resources within the community.
• Help patients connect to community services, primary care providers, mental health services and attend medical appointments.

Screening, Assessment and Patient Education:

• Conduct patient interviews, need assessments and implement care plan interventions via phone calls, home visits, and visits to other settings where patients can be found.
• Assist to administer pediatric screenings including social needs, EPDS, ASQ-3, BPSC/PPSC as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with the clinical team to support a caseload of patients to reach established goals.
• Support and motivate patients to achieve their health goals by coaching through behavior change, identifying strengths and community supports.
• Provide culturally appropriate health information and translation.

Data Collection:

• Collect data, maintain logs and document appropriately in the Electronic Health Record (EPIC) and Excel.
• Coordinate bi-directional data exchange with Bureau of Early Intervention.
• Maintain detailed records of communication efforts to support caregiver connection to Early Intervention Program.
• Work closely with HealthySteps Specialists to track high-risk newborns and mothers with Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.
• Maintains list of families on current caseload.

Patient Coordination and Communication:

• Report regularly to HealthySteps Program Director
• Document each patient encounter in the medical record (EPIC)
• Attend HealthySteps team meetings, morning huddle and monthly staff meetings to discuss patient progress and update treatment plans
• Travel to various community settings as required.
• Maintain proper communication within the department and facility by promptly respond to electronic communications

Education:

• High School diploma or GED required.
• Bachelors or Associates degree in Community Health, Social Work, Human Services, Public Health, Child Development/Education or any closely related field preferred.
• Masters Degree a plus.

Experience:

• Minimum one (1) year previous experience in the healthcare, community-based, or social work environment.
• Minimum three (3) years full-time experience in counseling, community work, community health activities/agency, or government agency highly preferred.
• Familiarity with social service programs and Brooklyn community-based organizations.
• Experience providing direct support services to patients, experience with behavioral health needs a plus
• Experience in the use of email, Internet, and technology programs (Excel, Word, Outlook, EHRs, etc.).

Knowledge and Skills:

• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with people of many cultures.
• Displays sensitivity to the service populations cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Ability to take initiative and willingness to learn.
• Ability to work well both in teams and independently.
• Commitment to a family-centered, strengths-based approach to care.
• Strong motivational interviewing skills.
• Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation and reporting purposes.
• Must be empathic, supportive, and patient.

Licenses, Certifications:

• MSW or Community Health Worker Certificate highly preferred.

Physical Requirements:

• Position requires prolonged periods of sitting, standing, reaching, and walking throughout the working day.
• Position will be required to stoop, bend, lift, and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Position requires travel between Brookdale Family Care Centers and the community.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees, and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of The Brookdale Hospital Medical Center.BHMC is an equal opportunity employer, it is our policy to provide equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, military status, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or handicap or other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.